The First Sorting
by Gilaine
Summary: The story of four friends at the beginning of Hogwarts …


Title: The First Sorting  
  
Rating: Mild PG.  
Category: General.  
Description: The story of four friends at the beginning of Hogwarts ...  
Spoilers: PS/SS.  
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and therefore I do not own HP's world. D***!  
  
  
  
  
Two children crept along one of the corridors that they knew as home. It was time for their secret meeting (although Lucas would never call them that) with their friends. Not that they were really that secret - everyone one from their parents to the cook to the house-elf all knew about them.  
  
"If dad knew what we are going to do ..."  
  
"Your dad barely knows where his wand is, let alone you. He's always talking to his snakes."  
  
The girl halted suddenly next to the picture of a knight wielding his sword, and gave a glare her father would be proud off. "Those snakes are so sweet - you on the other-hand are NOT!"  
  
Lucas opened the door with a touch of his wand. "I don't wanna be 'sweet'. I am manly." To show this he puffed out his chest. The girl, who could not have been older than eight huffed like her father and sat down.  
  
  
Lucas sighed. As much as he loved his 'sisters', it was hard putting up with them every day. But his parents and friends were doing something important - what Auntie Helga believed was that they were going to build one of the most greatest wizarding school in history. All they had to do now really was choose a name. And the duels between his and Azania's fathers were getting a bit too much - both wanted the school to be named after themselves. They should have realised that it was the women who had the final say - they were the ones with the power. HE should know ...  
  
Anyway, we have a job to do, he thought - clearing his mind of all other thought.  
  
  
Tara gasped. "What in the goddess' name did you do to your nose?"  
  
Lucas just pointed to Azania. It did not need any more explanation. Azania shrudded. He had stolen her wand after all ... but before had she had tugged him by the hair into the Black Lake ... BUT he had dunged ... well, she could go on forever. I'll always get my own back, Azania decided, planning her next step of the war Gryffindor verses Slytherin ...  
  
Julia, the last person to enter the room, trying to keep the peace reminded the two of their reason of their 'secret meeting'.  
  
"I have had another dream. We have to do this. It is getting stronger - the blood, the terror. No one will be able to beat the evil - to many un-magick bloods. The magick is weakened." She began rocking as she remembered each and every nightmare.  
  
This was too much for such a little girl, Lucas thought as he hugged her; forgetting completely that he himself was only six months older. This had to be real, they all felt. Most of Julia's dreams came true and the ones that had not - well, they might just have to wait for those.  
  
"Explain one more time how we are going to do this, Tara." Lucas looked up from Julia.  
  
"I have begun the search in the library - I know I have the right potion, but I am unsure of the side effects." She looked seriously at the other three kids - it was like they had already grown up. "I think we can reincarnate to these times in Julia's dreams."  
  
Azania, taking after from her father, wanted to know all the details. "The Catch?"  
  
Tara grimaced. "It does not matter when we take them. They activate when we die. The catches ... I cannot control when we are each born - plus, although I think I have sorted it all out, we might not even be in the same country. The birth thing - it does not help that we are different ages, but taking the potion at the same time will increase our chances." Tara took a deep breath. "If Auntie Helga's dreams are true, and thinking of the accuracy of her daughter, I can safely assume that we will be sent here to be educated. Here's the warning. Our personalities might change due to how we grow up and who is around us, our looks could change - even our sex. There is also the added problem that it is hard for anyone past the age of three to remember a past life so if we meet up there might only be a feeling of 'haven't I seen you before?' Doesn't matter - we would be friends anyway."  
  
Azania spoke up. "I shall always be a true Slytherin - I am his daughter for goodness sake!"  
  
Tara insisted - "You would have to be prepared that you could end up in another parent's house."  
  
"I know how we could find out which house we would go in," said Lucas. "Ask Arnold - he can read minds!"  
  
  
  
  
It was Lucas who 'volunteered' to fetch Arnold from his father's study ('you did come up with the idea'). He crept in, pausing for a moment to admire his father's sword before grabbing a hat.  
  
"Lucas?"  
  
"Yes, father?"  
  
"What are you doing with Arnold?"  
  
"Tara wants to ask him a question on the Egyptian -"  
  
Godric interrupted his son. "Better take him to her. She can be as bad as her mother. Just do not chuck him around - you are the one to get Arnold stuck like this."  
  
"Azania did the hex!" Lucas accused his best friend.  
  
"You are dismissed."  
  
Lucas thought about his father as he slowly walked back to HQ. His father could be so powerful if he tried. Lucas wanted to become the strongest wizard in the world. Or at least in Scotland. Everybody would sing his praises, children would learn about him in class ...  
  
  
  
  
Tara stuck Arnold on her head.  
  
"In my next life, which house shall I be in Arnold?"  
  
The hat spoke into her mind. 'You have all the qualities your mother admires. You shall be in Ravenclaw." Tara smiled. She knew it all along - she was too attached to the library. "I'm with my mother," she announced to the others.  
  
"I'm next!" Shouted Julia and hopped over to the hat. "What house shall I be in Arny?"  
  
'Do not call me Arny - I did change your nappies, young lady. You should have more respect for me ... Its the same as I told your cousin - you have all the traits your mother looks for. But you do have the spark of courage from your father. Goddess rest his soul. He was a good warrior. I would say Hufflepuff.' Once Julia told the others of her placement, Lucas pointed out that the choices were going as predicted.  
  
"We haven't done you yet, Lucas Gryffindor!"  
  
Lucas chuffed on the hat. 'Oi! That hurt.' "Sorry." 'That's okay. It's all here. You clearly have your father's qualities but you have ambition. A thirst for knowledge and a slyness you have developed with your friend. I would have to say Slytherin.'  
  
"What!" Lucas tossed Arnold onto the floor.  
  
Julia spoke quietly. "He put you into Slytherin, didn't he." Lucas nodded.  
  
Azania suddenly jumped up and put Arnold on her head. "Ooh! Am I going to be in the same house as Lucas?"  
  
'You have all the aspects of what your father looks for, but your mother gives you her courage. This means that you just do not care whether you are powerful or not. You think of adventure and annoying Lucas. I would have to say Gryffindor.'  
  
"Gryffindor," Azania spoke softly. Tara gasped. She was sure that Lucas and Az would end up in the same house. They were like two peas in a pod. Uck, peas. She was still trying to banish them to the other world without success. She had managed to van the biro for goodness knew how many years. This was annoying as they had been so useful. They were now back to feathers.  
  
"Okay," Tara said. "We need to drink this at the same time, at the count of three ..."  
  
They all shivered as the cold liquid ran through them.  
  
"You're it!" Shouted Az as she hit Lucas and took off at a sprint.  
  
  
  
  
The potion was soon forgotten afterwards as Julia's dreams faded. As they grew up their parents started to argue more and selecting students became increasingly difficult. It was Julia who suggested the hat, who after a number of years had forgotten his own name. He had never liked his name anyway. He could be used to sort future wizards and witches.  
  
But the conflict between the two best friends, Godric and Salazar was too great and could not be mended. Az could not help herself, but to curse both of them to never heal until the two met up again and said sorry. This did not happen for five hundred years until an afterlife party over Crete of all places. The delayed apology had other effects aswell. It also affected the Gryffindor and Slytherin students - although it did become weaker over the years.  
  
But Helga's dreams did become reality and despite all the 'hiccups' (as she called them), Hogwarts became one of the greatest schools of all time.  
  
  
  
  
Twenty years after the first sorting;  
  
  
Lucas Gryffindor was dying.  
  
Azania could not breathe. She had contacted Julie and Tara and they were all sitting on the bed; surrounding Lucas. In the background they could hear their children's shouts and screams of laughter outside in the garden.  
  
"We don't have anyone to carry the Slytherin or Gryffindor name, at least you two had brothers." Az stated very calmly.  
  
Tara and Julie exchanged nervous glances before Julie faced her. "A name does not mean anything. Your daughters will carry your blood. It might be better that they do not know all that went on. People will still eye your family tree with much interest."  
  
Azania took her friend's hand. "I know."  
  
Tara shook her head. No one knew anything about this sudden illness that Lucas was being subjected to. He was barely twenty-nine ...  
  
"Do you remember when we created the sorting?" Tara asked slowly.  
  
Azania grinned broadly. "Yes - I had neatly broken Lucas' nose that day."  
  
"Do you remember why we did it?"  
  
Lucas stirred. He was delirious, but he managed to say "reincarnation". He took a shallow breath and looked over to his wife. "Love you, Az - from this world and into the next." Another shallow breath, weaker than the last, made him pause. "I will never stop ... never." His last word muttered with such conviction, Az knew it to be true.  
  
And with that Lucas fell asleep for the last time. Ready for some rest and hopefully to save the people from Julia's dreams.  
  
  
  
  
All the friends; the first 'students' of Hogwarts, died soon after one another.  
  
  
  
  
All who knew them and did not know them, presumed it was heartbreak - the four had been inseparable. No one even have a spark of an idea that it was due to a potion Tara had made twenty years earlier at the age of seven ... the young Tara, Azania, Lucas and Julia planning to save the world in the only way kids that age could. Just to stop Julia's dreams. Only they knew.  
  
They were all to find out whether the potion had actually worked ...  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: If the story had really gone like that it would mean there was no pure heir of Slytherin ... he would have some of Slytherin AND Gryffindor. Aren't I'm evil? Now, that would really confuse the two houses ...  
  
AN2: This will probably be a stand-alone fic ... although I might add more if I receive wonderful inspiration from my muse! Hope you enjoyed it and have a virtual cookie on the house! 


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